Fruitland still awaits Jackson's answer on annexation petition

Fruitland residents who sent a petition in December to the city of Jackson requesting annexation are still waiting for an answer.

Tim Sutterer said that when residents sent the petition, they did not anticipate Jackson would study annexation of the area but instead answer that the city was not interested -- just as Cape Girardeau did less than a month after receiving the same petition. Sutterer said most Fruitland residents who signed the petition wanted to do so for one reason -- to be able incorporate Fruitland as a city. According to state law, Fruitland had to approach Jackson and Cape Girardeau before petitioning to incorporate on its own because of their proximity.

Since last year, two companies, Strack Excavating and Heartland Materials, have begun making plans to build limestone quarries near Fruitland.

Strack Excavating was issued a general operating permit from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in May. That allows initial site work but does not allow mining. An administrative hearing is scheduled for next month on the mine permit application. Heartland Materials was awarded a mining permit earlier this year, but that permit is the subject of a Cole County Circuit Court case brought by Saxony Lutheran High School and Save Our Children's Health Inc. of Fruitland.

Sutterer said the quarries are just part of the issues affecting Fruitland and its residents' desire to incorporate. The residents, he said, want to have some say in how any future commercial or industrial operations affect the community.

Jackson has one year from date the petition was submitted to make a decision. Jackson city administrator Jim Roach said a discussion of the annexation will be placed on a board agenda sometime soon.

"I don't think we are on the same schedule as they wish we were," Roach said.

To get discussion started among city officials, Roach said, city staff members first have to generate information regarding potential expenses and revenue.

"We probably need to start doing that, but it's been a pretty low priority for us, frankly, so we'll have to pick it up and start crunching some numbers to see what we have," Roach said.

Roach said the staff would support a vote of the aldermen to place the annexation of Fruitland on a ballot. If the Jackson Board of Aldermen does decide in favor, the city has three years to place the issue on the ballot for voters to approve, and another three years to extend full services to the area.

"We think it's a natural growth area for the city of Jackson and certainly don't want to shut the door on that area to be included in the city in the future," he said.

Sutterer said Fruitland residents are ready to move on to pursuing incorporation but can't do so without an answer from Jackson.

"It is very frustrating that we haven't been able to make any progress here," he said.

He said Jackson needs to recognize that it would have to get an affirmative vote from the residents involved in order to complete annexation.

Fruitland residents have already begun circulating another petition to apply with the county for its incorporation, he said.

eragan@semissourian.com

243-6635

Pertinent address:

Fruitland, MO